"I am one of the Gorons, the stone-eating people who live on Death Mountain."

— Goron

The Gorons are a recurring race in the Legend of Zelda series. The Gorons are a humanoid, rock-eating race that dwell in the mountains. Despite their hulking appearance, Gorons are a relatively peaceful species. They are usually considered, perhaps superficially, to be of low intelligence, although there is no particular indication of this in the games; in fact, there is evidence to the contrary, such as their ability to industrialize ahead of all the other races in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and some Gorons' roles as archaeologists in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Aside from Hylians and Sheikah, Gorons are the only race shown both in Skyward Sword and other games in the series. Since Skyward Sword is generally accepted as the first game in the series' continuity, this makes Gorons, Hylians, and Sheikah the oldest confirmed races.

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Biology

Gorons are physically imposing, as the height and sheer size of the average Goron are almost double that of an average human in certain games. They are presumably silicon-based due to a strict diet of rocks and, possibly as a result, they develop rocky growths on their backs as they age. Their apparent immunity to drowning would also stem from this, as the silicate minerals and rocks are extremely common and contain oxygen (this does not, however, explain Goron Link's weakness to water; however, it may be because Gorons must activate it somehow, which Link may not know how to do or doesn't apply to Goron native to Termina). However, it is most likely due to their enormous density, which leaves them unable to float or swim. They possess enough physical strength to shatter large boulders and carve out tunnels using only their fists, without suffering any significant fatigue afterwards. Particularly large Gorons like Dangoro possess even more strength in addition to their size, to the point of managing to create quakes by stomping on the ground.

Some Gorons like the various incarnations of Biggoron and Medigoron are gigantic in size compared to normal Gorons. Besides Biggoron and Medigoron, their are other large though not gigantic Gorons such as Hot Rodder Goron, Dangoro, and Darbus.

Gorons are shown to be resistant towards fire, lava, and magma. Gorons can curl up into a fetal position and roll at very fast speeds; in addition, Gorons with magic can even sprout spikes if rolling fast enough.

It is implied that the Goron lifespan is exceedingly long, as in The Wind Waker, Traveling Merchants briefly mistake Link for someone else before correcting themselves, hinting that they have met the Hero of Time and recognized him in the Hero of Winds. If this is true, it means the merchants have been alive for centuries. Due to the appearance of five different generations of Graceful Gorons over the course of 400 years in The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, it can be estimated that the average reproductive age of Gorons is around 80 years.

Gender

All Gorons that are seen are male and are referred to as such. They call each other "brother" (calling Link "Brudda" in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) and never once has a Goron referred to another as "she" or "her". Also, many young Gorons are shown as having a father, but no second parent has ever been mentioned. In the Ocarina of Time manga, there are some feminine looking Gorons; however, the manga is non-canonical and is not accepted as fact.

Culture

Gorons appear to have a friendly, brotherly culture. They have never been seen fighting each other unless for entertainment, like in sumo and boxing. The only scenario in which they appear less than peaceful is in Twilight Princess, in which the Gorons disallowed other races from entering the mountains, because of their pride. This pride of being a solid race with no obstacles was considerably shaken when, upon setting out upon an expedition and finding one of the Fused Shadows, their patriarch, Darbus, was turned into the Twilit Igniter Fyrus. Unable to reverse the effects of the Fused Shadow, they sealed Fyrus in a chamber deep within the Goron Mines, and prevented others from entering the mountains in order to hide this fact.

Their culture is 'explosive' despite their affability. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, one Goron says that manhood can only be reached by "rolling with a bomb flower", as if to roll through the explosion. Much of their architecture and many of their habits revolve around explosions and are almost always closely tied with bombs in all games in which they appear; in Twilight Princess, they supply the materials for the Bomb Shop, while in Majora's Mask they are expert pyrotechnists, re-engineering the bomb into the Powder Keg - a powerful barrel of dynamite which can take out even the greatest of boulders.

In Goron culture, people outside of one's bloodline can apparently be considered family, as they have been known to consider Hylian individuals to be their "brothers" and consider them Gorons.

There seems to be a tradition in many Goron cultures that the Goron with the largest physical stature within the society is named Biggoron, and, less frequently, the name Medigoron is given to the second largest Goron.

Appearances

Gorons reside in Goron City, located within Death Mountain. Their primary source of food is rocks from Dodongo's Cavern; however, when Ganondorf seals the cave after their patriarch Darunia refuses to give him the Goron's Ruby, they face the threat of starvation and extinction as a result of being separated from the nutritious rocks of Dodongo's Cavern. Link manages to open the cave and defeat King Dodongo therein, ensuring that the Dodongo's Cavern may be safely accessed by Gorons. As a reward, he is granted the title of "brother", as well as the Goron's Ruby.

Link returns at a later point to find that nearly the whole Goron race has been captured by Ganondorf, who plans to feed them to the dragon Volvagia as an example to other races that may defy him. A few Gorons have eluded capture, such as Darunia's son; Darunia himself enters the Fire Temple, Volvagia's lair, in the hopes of stopping Volvagia. Link rescues the Gorons from their imprisonment within the temple, and eventually recovers the fabled Megaton Hammer; with it, he crushes Volvagia, restoring peace to the mountains. Darunia is revealed to be the Sage of Fire, and provides Link with the Fire Medallion needed to access Ganon's Castle.

Certain members of the Goron race are noticeably larger than the average Goron: Medigoron and Biggoron are swordsmiths who can provide Link with powerful double-handed swords. The Hot Rodder Goron can be found rolling around Goron City and provides Link with an upgraded Bomb Bag if his rolling is halted in a certain location. It is important to note that the Gorons in Ocarina of Time are officially allied with the King of Hyrule.

Gorons live in Goron Village atop the mountain of Snowhead in Termina. During the events of the game, Link is able to acquire the Goron Mask, enabling him to transform into a Goron while worn, sharing all the abilities and traits of the Goron race. Their most valuable possession is Gold Dust, which may be won as a prize for participating in, and winning, the race competitions held during spring.

Gorons are identical in shape and size to their counterparts from Ocarina of Time, but possess minor differences: Their hair is more noticeable and is given a pale blond sheen. Their eyebrows and facial hair are also set further away from where they were located in Ocarina of Time; indeed, their goatees are now a separate part of the model rather than simply part of the texture used for the mouth.

Gorons reside on Rolling Ridge, and their leader is the Goron Elder. These Gorons' main produce is their famous Bomb Flowers. However, when Link arrives in the present time, the Great Moblin has halted the production of Bomb Flowers, and have instead started manufacturing handmade Bombs. In the past, Link finds the Goron Elder trapped by a rock slide, which he can clear with a Bomb Flower obtained from the present. In the eastern part of Rolling Ridge, many mini-games operated by Gorons can be found, including dancing, a Shooting Gallery, Big Bang, and the Restoration Ceremony. The line of Graceful Gorons who operate the Goron Dance Hall keep the Mermaid Key needed to enter the Mermaid's Cave. Most of the Gorons were present in all releases of the game, except for one: In the releases outside Japan, Nintendo of America, presumably to make the hunting down of the Mermaid Keys easier for players, inserted a green Goron who would provide hints as to how to procure the two Mermaid Keys.

Gorons reside on Goron Mountain, which is subject to perpetual winter due to General Onox's interference with the passing of the seasons. The Gorons in this game have little to no effect on the game's story. Most Gorons are not affected by the continuous winter, but Biggoron, who has no choice but to live outside due to his size, has contracted a cold. As part of the trading quest for the Noble Sword, Link acquires Lava Soup, which is exactly what Biggoron needs to cure his cold. In return, he gives Link the Goron Vase.

Gorons, disguised as Traveling Merchants, are seldom seen, and they have no apparent societal structure or civilization. Traveling Merchants may be found on Bomb Island, Greatfish Isle, and the Mother & Child Isles, where they can trade decorative items with Link. Although their clothing for the most part hides their identity, their traditional symbol is found on their backpacks, and they can be fully seen if a gust of wind is blown at them with the Deku Leaf. If Link takes a Pictograph of one of them and bring it to Carlov in the Nintendo Gallery, he makes a Figurine depicting all three different Traveling Merchants. If Link reads the description, it says their favorite snack is rocks.

Only a few Gorons are ever seen, and no societal structure is ever spoken of. Initially, one Goron can be found attempting to breach a rock wall in a cave near Lon Lon Ranch. By completing several Kinstone Fusions with Mysterious Walls found in caves, more Gorons arrive to aid in breaking the series of rock walls, eventually earning Link a bottle. When enough Gorons have been gathered, Link can obtain the Mirror Shield from Biggoron, who lives on top of Veil Falls, if he fuses with a particular Goron. A Goron Merchant who sells Kinstone Pieces can be found in Hyrule Town.

The Gorons reside on Death Mountain in northeastern Hyrule, and are ruled by a patriarch, as well as a group of elders. They are generally taller than Gorons in most earlier installments, but retain most of the same physical features. Their complexion is decidedly more rough and rock-like, featuring a rocky "crust" that can be seen on their head and back areas, and they also have tribal markings on their skin. They now also wear fundoshi, which is almost certainly a parallel to real world sumo, in which a mawashi, a protective belt similar in appearance to the fundoshi is worn.

Prior to the events of the game, the Gorons happened upon a part of the Fused Shadow in the Goron Mines; upon touching it, their patriarch Darbus was corrupted by its power and was transformed into Fyrus, the Twilit Igniter. The Gorons saw no option but to imprison their transformed patriarch inside a chamber in the mines. Too proud to accept help from outsiders, the Gorons began deterring whomever sought to scale Death Mountain. This led to the people of Kakariko Village being confused, since they were accustomed to the Gorons being friendly and peaceful. With the aid of the Iron Boots, Link is able to withstand the powerful guards on the path to Death Mountain—and even use them to climb the mountain itself—and enters the Gorons' mountain home.

After besting Gor Coron in a sumo wrestling contest, they give him a chance. Link enters the mine, wherein he battles a powerful Goron warrior named Dangoro, tasked with protecting the Hero's Bow. With the bow, Link is able to advance through the dungeon, break the spell on Darbus, and retrieve the Fused Shadow. Later, though he does not know about the events surrounding Link's ventures inside the mines, Darbus aids Link in opening the entrance to the Hidden Village.

When battling a Goron, it is possible to knock them off balance by blocking their attacks with a shield; if they are not struck by a sword, they curl into balls on the ground. If Link stands atop one while it prepares to unfold again, he is launched high up in the air, allowing him to reach high platforms. After Link completes the Goron Mines, the Gorons will instead ask Link whether he requires their aid in launching him up in the air; they can no longer be attacked, as they are now allies to Link. Subsequent to the restoration of peace to the Goron race, some Gorons depart from the mountain to provide merchant services elsewhere, such as Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle Town.

A beta enemy found in the game's code, known as the Goron Golem, is a giant entity formed from a large number of Gorons curled together, making it resemble a humanoid figure. Whether or not Gorons have this ability is unknown, as the enemy was never placed in the game.

Gorons reside on Goron Island; their leader is known as Biggoron, whose son, Gongoron runs the mini-game on Dee Ess Island They are protectors of the Goron Temple. This iteration of Gorons apparently use "Goron" or the prefix "Goro" as a form of respect within their culture. This can be observed from the behaviors of Biggoron, who on the final question on the Goron Quiz, calls him "almost-Goron", and Gongoron's mocking "never-Goron" and "not-Goron". After Link has cleansed their temple, all the Gorons refer to Link as "Goro-Link" (or, potentially, another name chosen on the Name Registration screen).

The Gorons reside in Goron Village in the Fire Realm. When Link arrives at the village, he learns from Kagoron that the village is blocked by a lava spew, and must be doused with something cold. Kagoron gives Link a freight car so he can transport the cold substance. Link then travels to the Snow Realm and eventually obtains Mega Ice from an Anouki and transports it back to the village. Link is then able to proceed into the village and head to the Fire Sanctuary.

There are also side quests that involve Gorons. More Mega Ice can be brought to douse a second lava spew so a Goron can return to his house. Link is rewarded with a Force Gem. Another Goron wants to go somewhere cold with a lot of snow, so Link can take him to Anouki Village. The Goron Elder's Grandson wants to see a town, so Link transports him to Castle Town. A Goron also runs the Goron Target Range in the Fire Realm.

The Gorons give Link valuable information on how to defeat the three Snurglars that possess the keys that are needed to enter the Fire Temple.

Gorons reside on The Surface. Only three Gorons are ever seen, and they are not shown to have any kind of home or civilization. Gorko is a Goron archeologist who, after being saved from an enemy attack by Link, aids him by providing him with advice. Gorko's assistant, Golo, later helps Link by creating a passageway leading to the abode of Lanayru. Gortram is the proprietor of the Rickety Coaster mini-game in the Shipyard. Despite the apparent rarity of Gorons during this time, it is implied that they were sufficiently numerous and connected during the war against Demise to have constituted a significant force. In addition to this, the presence of tribal tatoos indicates that a Goron societal structure exists during this time, or at least existed prior to the game's events.

While Gorons themselves do not appear physically, they are referenced by two items: Goron Ore and the Goron Garb. Goron Ore is a Material with similar sturdiness and musky smell as Gorons. The Goron Garb is an Outfit that resembles Darunia from Ocarina of Time and it grants Link the Goron's resistance to fire and Lava.

"Most Gorons inhabit the stony slopes of Death Mountain. They can achieve incredible land speeds by curling up into balls and rolling: they also curl up into small balls to sleep. They're a gentle and calm people, but their leader, Darunia, is impassioned and brave. Gorons use strong and dexterous fingers to make blades and bombs."

"A proud guardian of Death Mountain. Entering without gaining the trust of the Gorons will earn you a rolling-rock attack. They like sumo wrestling, as seen in Twilight Princess, when you need to wrestle Gor Coron. The complete shift to a friendly attitude by the tribal chief after being rescued suggests a prudent side to the Gorons."

— Trophy Description

Goron from Twilight Princess appear as a trophy and as well as a sticker. Their sticker depicts their artwork from Ocarina of Time, and grants a +21 bonus to arm attacks. This sticker can be applied to any character.

"Led by Darunia, the Gorons are a race of rocklike people who live a peaceful life in Goron City, inside Death Mountain. They enjoy a good roll around, and their diet consists mainly of the gourmet rocks that they mine from Dodongo's Cavern. They also enjoy the music of a certain Kokiri girl."

Gorons appear in Hyrule Warriors as basic units; in addition, Darunia, from Ocarina of Time, appears as a playable character. Goron units consist of Gorons, Goron Bombardiers (who carry rocks or bombs which they throw as weapons), and Goron Captains (who wear armor similar to Dangoro's). There is also a special type of Goron Captain known as Bombchu Operators, which command enemy Bombchu. If the Bombchu Operator is defeated by the player, they can take control of the enemy Bombchu and use it to attack enemy keeps.

In the game's story, Gorons are part of the Hyrulean Forces. In the Armies of Ruin stage, Link is given Bombs as a reward for assisting a Goron Captain by defeating a Lizalfos. Several Gorons also assist the Hyrulean Forces in the Eldin Caves by providing Bombchu to clear spires blocking the army's path.

After Cia uses the Triforce to open portals to various Eras, Sheik and Impa travel to the Era of the Hero of Time and learn from Navi that Darunia's personality has changed ever since he encountered a woman called Zelda and has kidnapped Princess Ruto. As a result, the Gorons of that Era have become hostile and attack the Hyrulean Forces lead by Sheik and Impa. Eventually, Sheik and Impa discover that the Gorons were being manipulated by the Dark Forces using Big Poes. After the Poes and Darunia are defeated, the latter returns to his senses and releases Ruto. He and his fellow Gorons join the Hyrulean Forces in hunting down the fake Zelda who had commanded the Big Poes to manipulate the Gorons. After the Fake Zelda is defeated and Sheik reveals she is the real Zelda, Darunia and Ruto join Impa and Zelda and the rest of the Hyrulean Forces and their allies in the battle against Cia and her Dark Forces.

A Goron also runs the game's Bazaar. Impa's swords in her Giant Blade moveset are described as having been constructed by the finest Goron smithy who ever lived (which is implied to be Biggoron). Darunia himself wields various Hammers, which is likely a reference to his ancestor, the Hero of the Gorons (his Level 3 is the Hero's mighty Megaton Hammer).

Goron units from Hyrule Warriors appear and serve the same role they did in Hyrule Warriors acting as either allied and enemy units. Darunia returns as a playable character and has new Recolor of his standard outfit based on Biggoron from Phantom Hourglass. Darunia and the Goron Forces also appear in Linkle's Tale: Powers Collide. In this new story scenario, the Goron Forces in the Era of the Hero of Time lead by Darunia and Ruto, defend Lake Hylia from Volga and the Dark Forces, aided by their new ally, Linkle.